AgricultureAgriculture

Myras OsmanMyras Osman

Classification of Economic ActivitiesClassification of Economic Activities• Primary or

Extractive Activities Hunting & Gathering– Farming– Livestock herding – Lumbering– Mining– Quarrying

• Work in the natural environment-often the environment suffers.

PrimaryEconomyTeak logs nearMandalay, Myanmar

Top picture-aquaculture or fish farmingin ThailandRight-fishing, one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, is vital to many countries (Iceland, Japan, etc.), but fish stocks are running low due to over fishing. (see Vid)

Classification of Economic ActivitiesClassification of Economic Activities• Secondary Activities

– The stages are; Stone Age-Copper Age-Bronze Age-Iron Age, etc.

– Manufacturing-converting raw materials into finished goods.

– Major changes in human history marked by new ways to convert raw materials into finished good.

Classification of Economic ActivitiesClassification of Economic Activities• Tertiary Activities

provide essential services in a complex society– Doctors, dentist, hospitals– Lawyers– Teachers– Stores, shops– Banks, offices

• Quaternary and Quinary are high tech and specialization– Administration– Research

AgricultureAgriculture

Agriculture – the purposeful tending of crops and raising of livestock in order to produce food and fiber.

• The Persistence of Agriculture

• The US only has 2 million farmers.

• Mechanization and farm consolidation have forced out small scale farmers.

• Yet US farm production is at an all time high.

• IN MOST OF THE WORLD-AGRICULTURE REMAINS THE LEADING EMPLOYMENT SECTOR-40% of the world’s population are farmers

Before FarmingBefore Farming• Food production, preparation

and consumption plays a major role in all culture.

• Food taboos by custom or religion, food intolerances-dairy, eggs or fish, peanuts, etc.

• Hunting & Gathering or Fishing was the only way to acquire food for most of our existence.– San of southern Africa– Aboriginals of Australia– Native Americans of Brazil

Bushmen of the Bushmen of the Kalahari still liveKalahari still liveBy hunting and By hunting and gatheringgathering

Hunting & Gathering SocietiesHunting & Gathering Societies• Settlements are NOT

PERMANENT• Populations remain small• Early hunter-gatherers lived

in wetter & better environments and had an easier life than those of the modern day.– Eastern North America-

forests, wildlife & nuts– Pacific Coast Americas-

salmon fishing– Aleuts of tundra caribou herds– Interior North America-

buffalo herds

Hunting & Gathering SocietiesHunting & Gathering Societies

• Technology improved slowly

• Bone & stone tools & weapons

• Learned to control fire-protection-cooking

• Metallurgy evolved with copper, bronze, gold and later iron for arrowheads, knives, axes and other utensils.

Hunting & Gathering Societies-Fishing Hunting & Gathering Societies-Fishing

• 12,000-15,000 yrs. Ago • Continental shelves

became shallow seas where marine life was plentiful

• Shell fish & trapped fish added to the diet as harpoons, spears, hooks, boats and baskets were created.

Agricultural Origins-The First Agricultural Agricultural Origins-The First Agricultural RevolutionRevolution

• The first domestication of plants was probably in South East Asia-root crops-taro, yams & bananas 14,000 years ago

• Middle East domesticated cereal crops such as wheat, barley & oats-10,000 years ago

• MesoAmerica-maize (corn), squash & beans

• Africa-millet, sorghum, watermelons

The Fertile Crescent –The Fertile Crescent – Where the planned cultivation of seed crops began.

- because of seed selection, plants got bigger over time- generated a surplus of wheat and barley- first integration of plant growing and animal raising

(used crops to feed livestock, used livestock tohelp grow crops)

The First Agricultural Revolution-Animal The First Agricultural Revolution-Animal DomesticationDomestication

• Goats, pigs and sheep were domesticated about 8,000 yrs. ago.

• Domesticated animals in captivity vs. wild.

• Southeast Asia-pigs, water buffalo, chickens, ducks and geese were domesticated.